County Veteran Service Officers Get Results in 2016: Direct Payments to Oregon Veterans Increased by 8.7 percent from 2015 to 2016
According to new data released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in May 2017, direct payments to Oregon veterans and their families increased by $110,946,000 from 2015 to 2016. These payments consist of disability, low income pension, and other cash payments. The overall level of VA expenditures including direct payments, healthcare, education, housing and other benefits totaled $2.8 billion in 2016.
Summary of 2016 Federal Veterans Administration statewide overall expenditures in Oregon:
- Compensation and pension payments totaled $1,392,002,000
- Healthcare payments totaled $1,115,055,000
- Overall payments by the VA totaled $2,783,393,000
The statewide total for disability compensation and low income pension payments in 2015 totaled $1.28 billion; the new 2016 total rose to $1.39 billion. This represents an 8.7 percent increase. This rise in VA expenditures is especially significant in light of the fact that the Oregon veteran population decreased by 5,258 from 2015 to 2016.
Contributed by: Andy Smith | AOC Veterans Policy Manager